UPDATE: Here are our winners. All five winners have been contacted by email.
Dan T
Jaime
Renee
Julia Anderson
Bethany
What books are important to have in your own personal library? I’m not referring to curriculum, but to reference books — books you will need no matter which curriculum you use.
Here is a short list of books we could not do without:
1. The Nelson Study Bible NKJV
2. Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary
3. Another larger dictionary to look up those unusual words
4. A smaller dictionary for quick reference — we use A Dictionary for Boys and Girls (published by G. and C. Merriam Company, unknown date). I like this dictionary because it was the one Harvey used when he was in grade school, and I like to read all his doodles.
5. Bob Jones English Handbook for Christian Schools
6. Greek/English interlinear
7. Greek lexicon — Harvey likes A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature
8. Reader’s Digest North American Wildlife
9. Masterplots, 15-Volume combined edition, Fifteen Hundred and Ten Plot-Stories and Essay-Reviews from the World’s Fine Literature, edited by Frank N. Magill, story editor Dayton Kohler, Salem Press, Inc., New York, 1964. Other editions would be just fine also.
10. A concordance to the Bible
11.Reader’s Digest Family Word Finder: A New Thesaurus of Synonyms and Antonyms in Dictionary Form, The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc., Pleasantville, NY, 1986. Any thesaurus would be fine.
12. Gray’s Anatomy by Henry Gray. There are many editions of this book.
13. Black’s Law Dictionary containing definitions of the terms and phrases of American and English jurisprudence, ancient and modern and including the principal terms of international, constitutional, ecclesiastical and commercial law, and medical jurisprudence, with a collection of legal maxims, numerous select titles from the Roman, modern civil, Scotch, French, Spanish, and Mexican law, and other foreign systems, and a table of abbreviations, by Henry Campbell Black, first published in 1891. Several editions available.
14. A set of encyclopedias — we have Britannica, but others are just as good.
15. Chicago Manual of Style
16. Subscriptions to one or more homeschooling magazines
17. A good Bible dictionary. We have Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary: An authoritative one-volume reference work on the Bible, with full-color illustrations, Herbert Lockyer, Sr., general editor, Thomas Nelson Publishers. There are numerous good Bible dictionaries.
18. The Wall Chart of World History, from earliest times to the present with maps of the world’s great empires and a complete geological diagram of the earth drawn by Professor Edward Hull
19. The Timetables of History: A Horizontal Linkage of People and Events, the world-famous reference that tells who did what when from 4500 BC to the present day–now updated for the 1990′s by Bernard Grun, based upon Werner Stein’s Kulturfahrplan
20. Liberty Defined by Ron Paul
The Wall Chart of World History
Here’s the contest — we’re giving away 5 copies of The Fallacy Detective:
In the comments, list one or more books (besides the ones mentioned above) you consider essential for your library. In a few days we’ll pick 5 winners. Be sure to leave your name and email address with your comment.
The Well-Trained Mind & The 5 Love Languages.
lisarup1 at aol dot com
An English-spanish dictionary
Tales to Dewey, by Gordon Clark
Calvin´s Institutes
One of my favorites is my Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance – I received it as a graduation gift from my church family many years ago. We use it often!
Pilgrim’s Progress for sure! Oh, and Of Plymouth Plantation, too!
hmm… that’s hard.. most of my must-have library items are curriculum or literature.
I’m going to say
-“a child’s history of the world”
-the “Story of the world” series
-all the Karen Andreola books
Dorling Kindersley DK Eyewitness Books on Presidents, History Detectives (Rome, Greek, Egyptian, Aztecs), Abraham Lincoln’s World, The Church in History, Streams of Civilization Vol 1, and 2, Little Women, Total Truth, C.S. Lewis Chronicles of Narnia, Jane Austen’s Books.
I don’t know if this counts, but one book I could not live without is The Hand That Rocks the Cradle. I use that book all the time and have two bookshelves so far dedicated to books listed in that book.
For a non-fiction reference book, I’d have to include a good atlas in your list.
Chronicles of Narnia
Rose Book of Bible Charts and Timelines
Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance
I would add the Harvard Classics Library (aka 5-foot bookshelf).
Without a doubt, The Peacemaker by Ken Sande.
Pilgrim’s Progress – John Bunyan
Willmington’s Bible Handbook – Harold L. Willmington
Ancient Hebrew Lexicon – Jeff Benner
Teaching the Trivium – Harvey and Laurie Bluedorn
Stone Edition Chumas – Nosson Scherman
Unlocking the Mysteries of Creation – Dennis Petersen
In the Beginning – Walt Brown
Signs and Seasons – Jay Ryan
Biblical Holidays – Robin Sampson
Complete Human Body – Alice Roberts (DK)
a wonderful full size volume of Audubon’s Birds of America
I would add…
Teaching The Trivium Christian Homeschooling in a Classical Style by Harvey and Laurie Bluedorn- This book is a great resource that I revisit often.
The David C. Cook Journey through the Bible by V. Gilbert Beers- This book enriches our bible studdies
We have two that I use most often.. The NIV84 Bible, used every day of the year, school or not, and “What the Bible is All About”.
A thesaurus
Plato’s Republic
Wall maps
“One Thousand Gifts” by Ann Voskamp
1. A bible (this is so obvious, I’m not sure it counts, but I thought I’d make sure!)
2. Sketches from Church History – great overview and reference
3. A good group of general reference materials (an atlas, a dictionary, maybe a thesarus, etc.)
4. A Bible Concordance
Great list! I need to check into some of those.
I would like to add: Biographies or autobiographies of Christian missionaries and workers (i.e. YWAM’s Christian Heroes: Then and Now series), Thompson Chain Reference Bible KJV, parenting books from a Biblical perspective (Teri Maxwell’s Homeschooling with a Meek and Quiet Heart and others), lots and lots of children’s books in baskets at eye level for free access.
Thank you!
This is fun! I love books! 🙂
William Strunk Jr and E.B. Whites The Elements of Style.
Trial and Triumph by Richard M. Hannula
Foxes book of martyrs.
Genevieve Fosters History books
Dr Raymond Moores better late than early! That one is for me or parent specifically.
Operation World by Patrick Johnstone and Jason Mandryk. Great for studying cultures, religions etc.
I look forward to what others post too!!
I must admit, I really love “The Daring Book for Girls” (Andrea J. Buchanan, Miriam Peskowitz) and “The Dangerous Book for Boys” (Conn and Hal Iggulden. They are a reference book for good, wholesome mischief, I guess you might say.
Also – just my opinion – I prefer Strunk and White’s “Elements of Style” to “The Chicago Manual of Style”. I believe it is the more commonly-used book among professional writers.
I also love The Chronicles of Narnia, as well as The Managers of Their Homes. It was a big help when I was starting out to see where time wasters were in my schedule so that I could spend time on what was important.
Drat – missed the end parenthesis (after Iggulden)in the same comment where I recommended “The Elements of Style”. Oops… Strunk and White would be appalled! 🙂
The Well Trained Mind, Susan Wise Bauer
Must-have book in our library:
Harvey’s Elementary Grammar & Composition (Mott Media)
This little book is a gold mine.
Oh! So many! But definitely the Bible, the well trained mind, story of the world books, usborne and kingfisher encyclopedias, and all the apologia science books!
well, someone beat me to it, but I was going to say “Strunk & White’s Elements of Style.” It is a concise, and very readable writing and editing handbook.
Explore the Book by J. Sidlow Baxter
Roget’s Thesaurus
Knowing God by J I Packer
1. Bible
2. The Well-trained Mind
3. The Well-educated Mind
4. Communist Manifesto
5. The Core
6. Teaching the Trivium
7. How to Read a Book
8. The Lost Tools of Learning
9. Pilgrim’s Progress
10. The U.S. Constitution: A Reader (Hillsdale College)
Audubon Field Guides-various
Children’s Bible by Golden Press
The Age of Opportunity..(TrIPP)
A Dictionary (oh I so need that one)
Must-have books in our library especially this school year:
Thoughts for Young Men by J.C. Ryle
Advanced Thorndike Barnhart Dictionary
Pilgrim’s Progress
The Hiding Place
Silas Marner
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
U.P. Diksiyonaryong Filipino
El Filibusterismo by Jose Rizal
The KJV Bible
The ESV Study Bible
Our favorite is Carlo Collodi: Pinocchio. I also made a lapbook and we chose some Bible verses that go nicely along with the quotes from the book.
For Me (the teacher)-
“Shepherding A Child’s Heart” (Tedd Tripp)
“Instructing A Child’s Heart” (Tedd Tripp)
“Age of Opportunity” (Paul David Tripp)
“Teaching the Trivium” (Bluedorns)
For all of us (teacher & students)-
“Typing Instructor” DVD
“Total Money Makeover” Book & Workbook (Dave Ramsey)
* “MacArthur New Testament Commentaries” (John MacArthur)Excellent & accurate references to any NT scripture questions that comes up.
* All books by Jerry Bridges (He teaches a lot on how to live a life trusting Jesus intimately).
“The Pilgrims Progress” (John Bunyan)
*** The Bible (God’s Word) We own them but do we use them in our home schooling? It is my top reference to successful schooling.
“The Answers Book” series by Ken Ham
Annals of the World by James Ussher
All Through the Ages by Christine Miller
What Should We then Read by Jan Bloom
The Mystery of History series by Linda Hobar
One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp
Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance
A Child’s History of the World
Hinds Feet in High Places
Exploring creation books, any of them.
I would add:
Timeline book – to add to each year
A good Atlas & Wall Map
A good poetry anthology book (we use “The Top 500 Poems” by Columbia University Press) and any children’s poetry and Mother Goose books (prefer those illustrated by Gyo Fujikawa)
Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations
Peterson First Guide (Field Guides for Nature Study)
Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Comstock
and a variety of art books (for kids the “Getting to know the World’s Greatest Artists” series by Mike Venezia are great)
Constitution of the United States and Declaration of Independence.
I would say a good world atlas. There are also some excellent computer versions from Bright Ideas Press (Wonder Maps) and Knowledge Quest.
All Through the Ages by Christine Miller – a must-have guide for moms who want to link living books with history.
The Syntopicon by Mortimer Adler,
and a systematic theology or catechism
Field guides
Everyday Graces: A Child’s Book of Manners
Bennett’s The Book of Virtues and Children’s Book of Virtues
Leading Little Ones to God
Thanks for your list, I enjoyed reading it and will be adding some to my wish list.
The books I would add are:
Handbook of Nature Study by Comstock
Understanding the Times by Noebel
Usborne Encyclopedias for younger kids
Amy
Window on the World by Daphne Spraggett with Jill Johnstone. It is the prayer guide for children (off of Operation World by Patrick Johnstone).
I have two:
The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason available free on Kindle. It will teach children to the principles behind saving and investing in a story that any elementary child can learn. it works for adults too.
What Ever Happened to Penny Candy by Richard Maybury.
His series are extremely timely and all kids need to know how the economy works.
Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock
Honey for a Child’s Heart by Gladys Hunt
The Student Bible Atlas by Tim Dowley
Then and Now Bible Maps by Rose Publishing
Southwestern Publishing Student Handbooks (we bought ours at a library book sale)
“The Book Tree”
ESV Study Bible
Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words
Honey for a Child’s Heart
National Audubon Society Field Guides are without a doubt the most consulted reference books in our home!
All Through the Ages by Christine Miller
CRC – a math book
Usborn World History Dates
Kingfisher’s Encyclopedia of the World
Although the Chronicles of Narnia and the Lord of the Rings are continually referred to in our house, the Books I have listed below are always near our table. Apparently, we can’t even eat our daily bread without them. My short list:
The Bible
The Harp and the Laurel Wreath
The Story of Painting by Sister Wendy Beckett
The Red Trinity Hymnal
The Book of Psalms for Singing
Baking illustrated
The Green Pharmacy
Keys for Kids for a quick devotional. Handbook of Nature Study by Comstock. Oxford Book of Poetry and Children’s Poetry.
The New Way Things Work, by David Macaulay
The Kingfisher Geography Encyclopedia
A Field Guide to Wildflowers, by Peterson & McKenny
I see several of my favorites already listed, but as we have very young children, I would add:
The Complete Tales of Beatrix Potter
Since we have very young children:
Peterson Field Guide Coloring Books
Dover Coloring Books
The Lost Tools of learning
Honey for a Child’s Heart
The Complete Tales of Winnie the Pooh
— Then & Now Bible Maps from Rose Publishing
— Celebrating Biblical Feast by Martha Zimmerman
I love any “Eyewitness” history series.
“A Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs” by David Bercot
I love this list and will be adding some books to my wishlist. I use many of the above, but one we use everyday that isn’t listed is William Bennett’s The American Patriot’s Almanac. A fun way to get history, citizenship and cultural literacy each day.
Home Learning Year by Year by Rebecca Rupp
A Study of History by Arnold J. Toynbee
Gulliver’s Travels by Johnathan Swift
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance
The Core – Leigh Bortins
The 5 love languages of children
You don’t have The Fallacy Detective listed in your top 20! ( My husband helped teach an apologetics class that used it as part of the curricullum. ) I really enjoyed reading other’s entries, and I concur that
Pilgrim’s Progress, and
a good Bible atlas are needed, though that may be included in the Illustrated Bible Dictionary you mentioned. I would also recommend adding
A blank book for journaling
Fox’s Book of Martyrs,
A Treasury of Early Christianity,
Shakespeare’s complete works,
The Knowledge of the Holy by Tozer, and his
Pursuit of God
and depending on how exhaustive the list is,
Great Expectations,Chronicles of Narnia,because they are my favorites as well as
What Really Happened to the Dinosaurs
Winnie the Pooh and the series
Hero Tales, because I can’t imagine not reading them to my 5 year old 🙂
For me the McGuffey Readers and the Little House books are a must!
Also A Child’s Garden of Verse
The Beatrix Potter series
In addition to the Bible, a dictionary, and an atlas, the most commonly referenced book around our house is a cookbook!
Some of the things that my wife and I use in are:
1. The Holy Bible (KJV), I’m partial to our Scolfield Study Bible.
2. Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance.
3. Our collection of McGuffey Readers from it’s Primer to it’s sixth volume.
The New Testament in Modern English by J.B.Phillips in in my reference books.
Most certainly #1: the Bible.
Narnia, any d’Aulaire, Classical Conversations Foundations guide, Spell to Write and Read, biographies and lots of fun books.
1. Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Word by W.E Vine, Merrill F Unger, William White, Jr
2. Pilgrams Progress
3. C.S. Lewis books especially, Mere Christianity & The Screwtape Letters
4. My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers
5. New Cook Book by Better Homes and Gardens
Reformation Study Bible ESV
Saved from What R C Sproul
The Holiness of God R C Sproul
Our other go-to reference materials are:
The ABC’s and All Their Tricks
Handbook of Nature Study
Teaching the Trivium
Handbook of Nature Study Anna Botsford Comstock
You Can Teach Your Child Successfully Ruth Beechick
Common Sense Christian Living, Schaeffer
Bible Atlas
Story of the World sets
All About Spelling readers
A modern world atlas
An extensive U. S. atlas
Atlas of Bible times (There are several good ones)
I also vote for Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, but I saw you listed a generic one
Best-loved Poems
biographies of Christians
The Girls’ Guide to AD/HD
selected history books
ooooh so fun! I have very young children (my oldest only entering “grade 2”) and several so I would have to say Rose’s Bible Charts and Timelines. It’s full colour and reproduceable! As for me I could not plan school without Teaching the Trivium and The Well Trained Mind. I would say we use a good atlas often as well. Oh and the Poetry for Young People series and the Childcraft series that I inherited from my mom and grew up on. I could go on and on….
oh and ADD-friendly ways to Organize Your Life. It’s everything God has guided me to do in my life to function well – in a book. Great resource.
An Atlas
Little Britches series
The Core
The Well Trained Mind
The Well educated Mind
The Hiding Place
anything by Frederick Douglass
Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible
Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion
Various volumes on the tabernacle
The Core
The Well Trained Mind
Story of the World Series
Usborne’s Encyclopedia of the Ancient World
Young Christian Reader’s Library Series
Usborne’s Encyclopedia of World Religions
Bible
Student Handbook by The Southwestern Company ( Five volumes)
Family Time Fitness found online
Resources that help me pick our read alouds.
My favorites:
Honey For A Child’s Heart
History Through The Ages
Books Children Love
Well Trained Mind
Teaching The Trivium 🙂
Sonlight & Veritas catalogs
I would/could never do with out my Bible, That’s number one. Books I keep coming back to are Heart of Wisdom, The Mission of Motherhood, Educating the WholeHearted Child, All Through the Ages.
Biblical Holidays- Robin Sampson
Meek and Quiet Spirit – Terri Maxwell
The Way they Learn – C Tobias
Gaining Confidence to Teach- D Strayer
The Well Trained Mind
Shepherding a Child’s heart
And my favorite novel, Redeemed
Swiss Family Robinson
Proverbs With the Millers
ESV Bible
almost anything by C.S. Lewis
Jesus Calling devotional (has been helpful to me lately)
Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss (I re-read this every few years)
I left the above comment but forgot my email. It is saramcole at yahoo dot com
I keep coming back to…
Q: why do I homeschool?
A: To raise children that Lord willing will glorify God and enjoy him forever.
With that in mind everything I teach must be filtered with a Biblical worldview.
Encyclopedia of Bible Truths for School Subjects [Hardcover]
by Dr. Ruth C. Haycock is an essential resource.
We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.
– 2 Cor 10:5